I honestly don't know where to begin. [withmalice]

I guess with thanking those that sent me messages via email, facebook and twitter: I'm fine, my family's ok.  My friends are for the most part accounted for and doing ok, tho' honestly I have a few up north that I continue to worry about.  

My family and I live in Japan's south, on the island of Kyushu - the southern-most of the main islands.  This quake and ensuing tsunami occurred a bit north of Tokyo.  
And for the most part, Tokyo's ok too.  They've had... and will continue to have some hellish inconvenience, but compared to what's happening not too far north of them, they're ok.

But northern Japan is anything but 'ok'.
This quake, has been pretty devastating. It's said to be 8000 times more powerful than the one that hit Christchurch. No typo there: 8000. Just off the coast of Japan, about 300km north of Tokyo. 
The ensuing tsunami has been the worst part. 1400 are confirmed dead, but the end toll will be well in excess of that, perhaps many times more. no comments

 

Four years ago, I got an e-mail from Jamie Mottram asking if I'd like to help AOL launch their MLB FanHouse. I was 22 years old at the time, just about to graduate from Duquesne with my degree in Biochemistry. I'd been blogging for almost two years, but never, ever considered that it was something I could get paid for. [whygavs]

Today, FanHouse is officially shutting down as AOL has farmed its sports content out to The Sporting News, and looking ahead to a baseball season without FanHouse is a really strange feeling for me. Over the past four years, I've worked with some incredibly smart and talented baseball bloggers, writers, and reporters, I've learned more than I could've imagined about a game that I always thought I knew everything about, and I've written some things, both on my own and in collaboration with others, that I'm beyond proud of.  no comments

Jason Kreis, not Juan Agudelo or Teal Bunburry, is the future of American soccer.  While Major Leagus Soccer is right about to start next week, but in the meantime CONCACAF Champions League is up and running in the elimination stage.  The winner of the CONCACAF Champions League will go to Japan to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, a competition that an MLS team has never won, and only DC United has ever performed really well at.  Jason Kreis, the coach of Real Salt Lake, believes his team has a shot at winning CONCACAF.  And they absolutely do. [frontofficeblogs]

Kreis is a rareity in MLS.  He is a former player, who has transitioned succesfully into coaching.  He was a good MLS player, but not a star.  Still he has been one hell of a coach.  When he took over RSL after they snuck into the MLS playoffs, they won the whole thing.  And last year --to prove that it wasn't a fluke championship-- they almost won Supporters Shield, despite a hot start by LA.  Kreis's team has an attacking flair to it.  While everyone thinks of them as being European, they are actually very South American in style.  They are creative.  They are attacking.  They are entertaining to watch.  This is a team who went into Mexico last year, and lost to Cruz Azul 5-4, in a game they should have won.  If not for terrible refereing, RSL would have been the first MLS team to win on Mexican soil.  Against a very good Mexican team at that.  And it all boils down to the coach knowing what to take serious. no comments

What an amazing Daytona 500 on Sunday.  A record number of lead changes (74), leaders (22), and cautions (16).  The new style of racing at Daytona was somehow even more intense, dramatic, and exciting than the traditional interstate traffic jams racing around Daytona in packs of 30 cars a few seconds a part.  Due to the new pavement and the aerodynamical adjustments in the cars this year, it was clearly evident that 2x2 was the way to go around Daytona.  [randallsimonssausages]

Fans are split on whether the 2x2 racing was the way to go, but count me among the fans of the pairs of cars racing ferociously the famed speedway.  The unique style led to tons of lead changes and drama throughout as there were an infinite number of strategies and discussions of who was pairing up with who and positioning heading into the last few laps.  It was an extra element of strategery and freshness that frankly, the race and NASCAR needed.  All the cautions dragged the race down a bit, but with the excitement of green flag action, it was worth it.  However, the excitement, drama, and freshness wasn't just in the style of race, but who won it. no comments

When the USMNT beat South Africa -- a team they should have beat anyway -- on a late Juan Agudelo goal, I thought that people were going a little too crazy over Juan Agudelo.  “He’s the future,” they said.  “The goal was amazing,” they claimed.  “He’s the better than Jozy,” they began whispering.  It was as if people were making him out into some sort of super heroic soccer star.  I thought that Agudelo was decent, but he was far more Clark Kent than Superman.  Well after playing a friendly against Chile -- a team that tore through the group stages of the 2010 World Cup -- I am putting down the kryptonite and climbing aboard the Agudelo bandwagon. [frontofficeblogs]

The commissioner Bob Bradley has not had a team look this prepared at the beginning of a game since he coached the Metro Stars in MLS.  The squad took it to Chile, dominating the attack in the first half.  Sean Franklin looked like everything I had hoped he would be.  Getting forward, not being beaten down the flank, clearing the ball well, and sending several well timed crosses into the box.  The team could have shut down a very potent Chilean defense if not for a defensive gaffe, which was only due to a great pass, that completely split the defenders, forced Sean Johnson off his line, and left a Chilean striker in a position that I could have scored from. no comments

[randallsimonssausages] Perhaps no athlete, not even Barry Bonds, has had to battle more suspicion than Lance Armstrong. Journalists and newspapers throughout France and the rest of Europe, especially the "fine folks" at Le Monde and L'Equipe have repeatedly posted allegations from other riders, former riders, former personal assistants, and many others to attempt to prove Lance Armstrong is a cheater. Why wouldn't they be suspicious, especially in a sport with such a rich doping history? Why would they be proud of an American cancer survivor to claim their event a record seven times after only winning two previous Tour stages. Try as they might, Armstrong has never failed a test for performance enhancing drugs. However, some of his own abrasive behavior, and the continued smoke clouds that surround him, may in the long run take some prestige away from his athletic feats. In this steroids era, even our loftiest of heroes must face that hint of doubt which lingers in the minds of his admirers.

This was written by yours truly over a year ago about our #3 Athlete of the Decade, Lance Armstrong.  Only months ago, Armstrong was seen as the victim of a witch hunt to prove his use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).  Tour de France officials and French newspapers couldn't wait to pin Armstrong on any concrete evidence linking the 7-time winner of the Yellow Jersey to PEDs.  From their perspective, the inability to connect the brash American to PED use in the most corrupt sport known to man had to be maddening.  To most American followers of Armstrong, the witch hunt was only meant to discredit Armstrong's athletic achievements.   no comments

Another year has passed and another year of memories that the sporting world has left us. There were many moments in 2010 that could make a top ten list which is why getting the list down to ten was very difficult. I wish everyone a happy new year and hopefully another year of great sporting moments. [thundertreats]

10. Hockey Gold Medal Game
The United States made an improbable run in the 2010 Olympics pitting them in the gold medal game against the favorites and host nation Canada. The USA tied the game late with a goal from Zach Parise sending it to overtime. Once in overtime the best hockey player in the world, who just recently finished a 25 game point scoring streak, proved why he is the best by scoring the game ending goal and giving the Canucks the gold.

9.  Walk-off Hole in One
Jonathan Byrd found himself in the fourth playoff hole at the 2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. One swing of the club from the 203 yard, par three, 17th hole ends the tournament with a walk off hole in one.

8.  The Decision
Two time reigning NBA MVP LeBron James and his douchbag manager Maverick Carter decided it would be a good idea to have an hour long announcement to where he will play basketball next season. That great idea included embarrassing the city of Cleveland on a national spotlight then proceeding to come up with non-sense explanations of why he did it, even pulling out the race card to try and ease all the hatred he was receiving. Epic Fail LeBron. Enjoy playing in a half empty Miami arena with old rich retired people who don’t care about sports pretending to be Heat fans.

7.  Giants win their 1^st World Series

In a World Series matchup that finally didn’t have the same money bought teams,  the San Francisco Giants led by Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson won their first world series title since moving to California.

6. New Orleans Saints win 1^st Superbowl


After the city of New Orleans was destroyed in 2005 from Hurricane Katrina, there wasn’t much to look forward to in the city. Five years removed from one of the worst disasters in history, the Saints provided the city with hope with a stunning upset of the Indianapolis Colts giving them their first ever Lombardi trophy to bring back to Who Dat nation.  Check out Dubz detailed trip to 'Nawlins when he went to see the Steelers take on the defending champs.

5.  Butlers near improbable run
One of the greatest upset runs in NCAA March Madness History was inches away from being completed at the 2010 NCAA National Title game. The Butler Bulldogs from the Horizon League upset their way through the tournament as a 5^th seed and got to play in the Final Four in their home city of Indianapolis. I was in attendance at this year’s Final Four and shot the video below of the final shot that Butlers Gordon Hayward almost drained to win the title versus the Duke Blue Devils.

4. 90 and Done

In writing this article, I had to go back and edit this section. It was titled 90 wins and counting until I got the text that the UConn women had lost. Women’s basketball has always been viewed as a less than desirable sport, however, I don’t care what sport this is because winning 90 games is remarkable and something that we might never see again in our lifetimes.  Kudos to the lady Huskies and coach Geno Auriemma.

3.  Favre done at 297
In a streak that is comparable to the one above, this might be something that we never see again in sports. Even though Brett Favre has gone from lovable Brett to universally hated due to his retiring, the coming back, then retiring, then coming back, then retiring…well you get the point. Regardless of his junk shot scandal or his inability to make a decision, you have to respect his toughness to play 297 consecutive games in a sport that is a brutal as it gets.

2.  Three Days at Wimbledon
After discussing the two prior streaks that set the bar unbelievably high, the John Isner & Nicolas Mahut match at Wimbledon takes the cake. The three day match lasting over 11 hours had a grueling back and forth 5th set tiebreaker that ended with John Isner winning 70 to 68 ending the longest match in Wimbledon history.

1.  Blown Perfection
Throwing a perfect game is one of the rarest feats in baseball. In fact, it has only occurred 20 times in the long history of baseball. This June, Detroits Armando Galarraga was one out away from this perfection. After a ground ball between 1st and 2nd, Armando covered first base and clearly caught the ball before the runner reached the base. Umpire Jim Joyce felt differently and called the runner safe effectively ruining the perfect game. Replays showed that the call was wrong and should have been the 21st perfect game in league history. Joyce was devastated at costing the kid the perfect game and Armando displayed excellent sportsmanship in his handling of the situation. Even though his name will never be in the record books for this effort, Armando’s near perfect game will forever be remembered for the controversy that surrounded this game. Also, shout out to Oakland’s Dallas Braden who threw a perfect game in May of 2010 but missed this list at 11 due to the lack of controversy such as this one.
 

[thundertreats2] 

no comments

With only one day left in the calendar year, it's time to put the ultimate bow on the sports year that was in 2010.  Before we look ahead to 2011, it's time to revisit the Top 10 Sports Stories of 2010.  Not just who won and who lost, but what events and people evoked the wide range of emotion that makes sports such a special part of our culture.  Drum roll please.... [randallsimonssausages]

(10) The Year of the Pitcher in Baseball
-When fans look back at 2010 in baseball it won't be the Giants winning the World Series that will be remembered.  Instead, 2010 officially marked the end of the Steroid Era as pitchers dominated for the first time in a generation.  All in all there were 6 no-hitters, including perfect games by Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay (both in May).  Halladay further cemented himself as one of the greats when he no-hit the Reds in the postseason.  But it wasn't just seeing the most no-hitters in almost 20 years, it was the amount of almost no-hitters (including one notorious umpiring blunder) and the drop in runs scored and home runs. Thankfully for a sport that needs to see an era of dominant pitching, this "Year of the Pitcher" looks more like a trend than a one-year fad.

(9) College Expansion Comes and Goes

-The greed and hypocrisy of the NCAA has been on everyone's mind recently, but the major BCS conferences showed themselves to be the greediest of them all with their bloodthirsty quest for conference expansion.  Amidst all the rumors of an apocalyptic college football realignment, the expansion changes were more of a blip on the radar.  Colorado and Utah moved to the Pac-10, Nebraska moved to the Big Ten, Boise St. jumped to the Mountain West while TCU will go to the Big East.  However, with the almighty dollar continuing to drive the consolidation of power amongst the BCS conferences, this year's conference expansion might just be a blip on the radar screen compared to the potential realignment to come.

(8) Cam Newton Dominates On and Off the Field
-Unfortunately, college football's other major story was also off the field with the Cam Newton controversy. Rumors of his father attempting to auction the services of his son to Mississippi St. for $150,000 put a damper on his outstanding season where he scored 49 total TDs and ran away with the Heisman Trophy.  Newton’s season might have been remembered as one of the best ever if so many weren’t convinced that someday it will be taken away from him by the NCAA and the Heisman Trust.  Newton probably didn't help his cause much either in his acceptance speech when he said his parents do a lot for him, "behind the scenes"... D'OH!

(7) Concussions and Labor Unrest Threaten the NFL
-The NFL has enjoyed a dominant run at the top of the sports landscape.  But, two issues that reared their ugly heads threaten to derail the NFL's monopoly...labor and concussions.  Even though the chaos predicted by an uncapped season hasn't surfaced, both the league and the union appear determined to go into a labor stoppage in 2011.  While the labor dispute hasn't been front and center in 2010, it's a story that has been constantly bubbling beneath the surface.  Meanwhile, the NFL also damaged its credibility with its inconsistency and reactionary response to helmet-to-helmet hits.  While they are dangerous, there doesn't seem a way out for the NFL without some revolutionary ideas.  The unevenness of fines and officiating and threat of suspensions further illustrated the gap between players, fans, and the Shield.

(6) The Rebirth of Michael "Mike" Vick
-As with any player who runs afoul of fans and society, the best way to win them back is through success on the field.  Mike Vick has been the perfect example of this unique phenomenon in sports as memories of his heinous dogfighting charges and jail time fade into memory.  His electrifying play has made Eagles fans forget Donovan McNabb and remember a time when Vick was to revolutionize the QB position.  No matter what happens the rest of the season, Vick’s resurgence will be one of the lasting images of 2010, Tucker Carlsson be damned!

(5) The Sad Ending of Brett Favre...Hopefully
-Old Man River's 2010 started wonderfully...if you are tired of his presence and just want him to go away! His crucial interception at the end of regulation in the NFC title game and seemed a fitting end to his turbulent career.  But then the summer came and the typical Kabuki dance between Favre, ESPN, and the Vikings started up.  You see, it just tore Old Man River up too much to be away, and when his teammates came to Hickville, MS to beg him back, it sealed his return... that and a hefty pay raise.  Thankfully the fairy tail seems like it's officially ended in 2010 as his reputation and legacy was further ruined by the Jenn Sterger case and the end of his consecutive starts streak.  As a Bears fan long-tortured by Favre, nothing would be better as a lasting memory than OMR being knocked out by Chicago rookie Corey Wootton.  For his own good, Favre needs to finally call it quits.  Of course, I won't believe it's true until the NFL starts up and Favre is on his farm... or his own VH-1 reality show!

(4) The World Cup in South Africa is a (Lasting?) Success

-Unfortunately for FIFA, the good feelings of the summer's World Cup and its impact in the U.S. has been fleeting.  Sure, the U.S. had a great run that frankly should have extended into the semifinals.  Also, Ian Darke was a revelation to American soccer fans, both hardcore and casual (as evidenced by his new and exclusive deal to be the voice of soccer for ESPN in the US).  The World Cup was a great success in the US as more people watched soccer than ever before.  Spain's victory was ultimately a popular one, but 2010's World Cup will be more remembered for the negative tactics by the majority of teams.  Also, it's hard to think of 2010 and FIFA and not be drawn to the recent scandal of Russia and Qatar receiving the 2018 and 2022 World Cups over England and the U.S.  Instead of soccer finally making the climb in popularity in the U.S., it will continue to be niche, thanks in large part to FIFA.

(3) The Saints Win the Super Bowl?!
-Yes, my brother Matt's boyhood dream came true when the Saints won the Super Bowl in dramatic fashion. Their season-long roller coaster was emblematic of the rise and fall of the city of New Orleans after Katrina. They started undefeated until three straight losses at the end of the season.  Entering the playoffs they once again were the underdog, but they dispatched Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning behind an opportunistic defense and the brilliance of Drew Brees and Sean Payton.  I could say more, but why not relive every detail with Matt's glowing recap of the Saints' victory.

(2) Tiger Woods Returns as a Shadow of Himself
-One year ago, we were wondering what to make of Tiger Wood's scandal and future as perhaps the greatest golfer of all-time.  Now, we've experienced Tiger's train-wreck news conference, his warm reception at the Masters, and his failure to win a tournament for the 1st time in his career.  He covered the gambit off the course with his divorce becoming official, joining Twitter, dumping coach Hank Haney, and rediscovering his religion.  But, much like Vick, Tiger won't be completely back until he starts winning.  And with so many great young golfers learning to win, the future of Tiger breaking Jack's record of 18 majors looks more unlikely than ever.

(1) LeBron Decides to Burn Bridges

-But above all else, 2010 will be remembered as the year of The Decision.  LeBron James, despite never winning a game in the NBA Finals, had built himself up as the simultaneous Savior of Cleveland and King of the NBA.  So naturally, the once beloved King's free agency was a big deal.  Through the year, we covered the LeBron story from every angle because it was one of the most fascinating stories we've ever seen and it was a perfect cross-section of sports in the 21st centruy.  The words I wrote the day before LeBron turned his back on Cleveland still ring true today:

But sadly, fans may also remember July 8, 2010 as the day a small portion of what makes sports special died. We'll remember the day where the collective success of the team was cast aside for the fame of the individual. We'll remember the beginning of an era where athletes don't just nickname themselves as kings, but actually believe they are royalty, meant to rule over the common masses with a stroke of their mighty hand. King James might think he's doing a favor for his followers by flooding his ego with the eyes of millions of viewers on him and the fate of entire cities resting on his every word. But, what he'll really accomplish tomorrow night, no matter where he decides to rest his heavy crown, will be the permanent severing of the connection between fan and athlete.

This is the legacy of LeBron James at the end of 2010.  A player who once could have been next to Jordan, Bird, and Magic as one of the games greats can now never be mentioned in the same breath.  That's the price James has to pay for choosing the easy way out in a sport that relishes individual greatness more than any other.  His legacy also has to pay the price for becoming the most vile figure in sports, because no amount of winning can every make anyone forget the betrayal of his hometown team.  Most of all though, The Decision was the price we paid as fans, especially those in Cleveland and Ohio, for worshipping an athlete in the 21st century and naively believing any of the emotion given was ever going to be returned.  In a way, fans should thank LeBron for opening their eyes to this new truth, that no matter how many tweets an athlete might make to his or her fans, the divide between athlete and fan has never been bigger.  Such is the state of sports in the year 2010. [randallsimonssausages2] no comments

no comments

One of our favorite lists of the year is the Top 10 Games of 2010.  Why ESPN ever took the Top 10 Games off the air a few years ago is beyond me, but it's always fun to look back at why exactly we love sports - the games.  These are the games that will be remembered 10 years from now and beyond.  Here at RSS we do things just a little differently.  Because we cover all sports we go to 10 different sports for our 10 games and pick the best one from each, then rank them 10 to 1.  Let us know what games we've missed and what your favorite game was from 2010. [randallsimonssausages]

10) MLB - Phillies 4 Reds 0, NLDS Game 1
-This game will always be known as Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter.  In lack of a truly classic competitive baseball game this year, this one will do as the baseball game most remembered from 2010.  Halladay was incredible in his first ever postseason start only needing 104 pitches, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts to no-hit the Reds.  Again, thank Bud Selig for our craptastic fan video.


9) NBA - Lakers 95 Thunder 94, 1st Round Game 6
-Some might argue for Game 7 of the Finals to be here, but that really was a wretched game that was awful to watch.  In truth, the game of the year in the NBA took place at the beginning of the playoffs with the Lakers taking on Kevin Durant and the young Thunder in Oklahoma City.  This game had everything a fantastic basketball game needs - an amazing crowd, stars making plays at both ends, and a buzzer beater.  Pau Gasol's putback in the final second finally put the Thunder away and began another Lakers title run.


8) NHL - Blackhawks 4 Flyers 3 F/OT, Game 6 Stanley Cup Finals
-There may be nothing better in sports than playoff overtime hockey, especially when everything is at stake.  The last game of the '09-'10 NHL season is our choice for NHL game of the year.  This game had 3 ties and several lead changes before Patrick Kane netted the game winner in OT (which made our Top 10 D'Oh Moments countdown for the several announcing blunders associated with it) and Chicago won their first Stanley Cup since 1961.


7) Golf - Martin Kaymer Wins 2010 PGA Championship
-As has been the custom over the past decade, the PGA Championship was the most exciting golf tournament of the year and just nicks this year's Ryder Cup in our countdown.  Even though Tiger Woods was missing from major leaderboards all season, the last major of the year was one of the most compelling in recent memory.  It had several players in contention, including young studs Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, and Martin Kaymer.  Leading by a shot, Johnson's episode on the 72nd hole will forever go down in infamy for grounding his club in one of Whistling Straits' mystery bunkers.  The insuing penalty sent him from the playoff to a place in golfing lore.  In that playoff, Kaymer came from behind to beat Watson to claim his first major in remarkable fashion.


6) College Football - #19 Nevada 34 #4 Boise State 31 F/OT
-A jaw dropping comeback by the Wolfpack almost never was.  After a 17 point fightback, the score was tied at 31 when Kellen Moore's unreal pass to Titus Young with 1 second left set up Boise State inside the 10 yard line with a chance to escape Reno with their BCS title dreams alive.  Instead, K Kyle Brotzman missed a 26 yarder on the last play of regulation.  Then he missed a 29 yarder in the first OT period.  Nevada went on to upset Boise 34-31 in one of the most unreal college football games you'll ever see.  The ending makes it easy to forget about the fantastic performances of players like Moore and Colin Kaepernick.  The loss was costly for Boise - no BCS berth and no $8 Million payout from the BCS cartel.


5) College Basketball - #2 Kansas State 101 #6 Xavier 96 F/2OT, NCAA Sweet 16
-While the championship game between Duke and Butler came down to the final shot and Gordon Hayward's missed buzzer beater, this game was the pure definition of March Madness.  K State and Xavier traded bucket after bucket through 2 overtimes including perhaps the most awesome clutch shot I've ever seen from Xavier's Jordan Crawford to force double OT.  Finally, Jacob Pullen and the Wildcats were able to emerge after a classic encounter.  Of course, it always helps to have Gus Johnson on the mic...


4) Tennis - John Isner def. Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68, Wimbledon 1st Round
-The most surreal entry into our countdown is the longest tennis match ever played.  This match lasted 3 days and will forever link the two men together with records that may never be broken.  You may ask why it's not number 1 on the list and it's a legitimate question because of the sheer improbability of ever seeing anything like this again.  Well, the match was a battle of wills that will be remembered for its pure longevity, not its impact on the sport or the quality on display.  It was more of a freak occurrence than legendary classic.  The match brought about my favorite piece of sports journalism of the year in the Guardian Live Blog.  This came from Xan Brooks when the score was 18-18 in the 5th, keep in mind there were still 102 games to go!

The Isner-Mahut battle is a bizarre mix of the gripping and the deadly dull. It's tennis's equivalent of Waiting For Godot, in which two lowly journeymen comedians are forced to remain on an outside court until hell freezes over and the sun falls from the sky. Isner and Mahut are dying a thousand deaths out there on Court 18 and yet nobody cares, because they're watching the football. So the players stand out on their baseline and belt aces past each-other in a fifth set that has already crawled past two hours. They are now tied at 18-games apiece.

On and on they go. Soon they will sprout beards and their hair will grow down their backs, and their tennis whites will yellow and then rot off their bodies. And still they will stand out there on Court 18, belting aces and listening as the umpire calls the score. Finally, I suppose, one of them will die.

Thankfully, one of them didn't die, Isner finally won.  And, the grace, class, and sheer will to win of both players will go down in the history books.  We pick up the highlights at 59-59 at the beginning of Day 3!


3) Soccer - Uruguay 1 Ghana 1 (URU advances 4-2 on PKs), World Cup Quarterfinal
-The World Cup in South Africa was a complete success and enjoyed by a record number of people stateside.  Perhaps no other game told the importance and drama of the World Cup than the quarterfinal between upstarts Ghana and Uruguay.  Ghana was the last African team in the tournament looking for the continent's first semifinal berth while Uruguay were on their best WC run in 40 years.  With the score tied at 1, Argentine star striker Luis Suarez was penalized for a handball on the goalline in the dying seconds of extra time.  With the last kick of the game, Ghanian talisman Asamoah Gyan banged the PK off the crossbar.  Uruguay won the ensuing shootout 4-2 in one of the cruelest, most heartbreaking losses you will ever see.  The roller coaster of emotions and continental significance of the game were beyond description.


2) Olympics - Canada 3 USA 2 F/OT, Gold Medal Hockey Game
-The Olympic hockey tournament was one of the highlights of the year and we got the dream matchup in the Gold Medal Game featuring these two North American rivals.  The fact that the game took place on Canadian soil in Vancouver only made the theater more enthralling.  The USA played the role scrappy underdog, even pinching a win against the uber-talented Canadiens in the prelim round.  In the final game, the Americans found themselves down 2-0 but came back with goals from Ryan Kesler in the 2nd period and Zach Parise in the final minute to send the game into overtime.  It was there where the legend of Sidney Crosby grew even more by scoring the golden goal on tourney MVP Ryan Miller.  


1) NFL - Saints 31 Vikings 28 F/OT, NFC Championship Game
-It was a fantastic calendar year for the NFL.  We had classic games ranging from the Miracle at the New Meadowlands to the Cards/Packers Wild Card Shootout to Super Bowl XLIV.  But, no game in the NFL or in the world of sports had as many twists and turns or as much lasting impact as the NFC Championship Game that propelled the Saints to the Super Bowl and effectively ended the career of Brett Favre.  For the thrills on the field and the larger impact of the game, it is our choice for Game of the Year.

The Saints and Vikings traded 4 TDs over 4 quarters.  In that span the New Orleans defense mercilessly beat Brett Favre to shades of purple matching his Viking uniform.  However, Favre led a Minnesota offense that outgained the Saints 475-257.  The Saints were somehow able to stay in the game with what had led their improbable march all season - turnovers.  The Saints defense created 5 Minnesota turnovers including one of the most famous interceptions of all-time in the last minute of regulation.  With the score tied at 28, Favre and the Vikings were on the edge of field goal range with :19 left.  Favre's storybook season was sure to head to Miami for a chance at one last title.  Only needing a few yards, Favre threw an interception to Tracy Porter and the Saints wouldn't relinquish the ball.  In overtime, Drew Brees led New Orleans into FG range including a key 4th & 1 pickup by Pierre Thomas.  It was then when Garrett Hartley booted the Saints into a Super Bowl berth, where they would go on to win their first world championship on another Porter interception against Peyton Manning.

The lasting legacy of this game is what sets it apart from the rest.  The Saints defense battered Favre so much that he waffled on coming back for the 2010 season - surprising I know.  But, the truth is that even though he came back to play again, Favre never really recovered from this game and the season following was a disaster for himself and the Vikings.  More importantly though, it was also the end to the Saints' inglorious history of losing and folly.  If the Saints can reach the Super Bowl through a classic NFC Championship Game, and go on to win it all, then truly anything in sports is possible.  That's why they play the games... 


So there you have it, that will do it for us until after the weekend.  We'll be back around the end of the year with the rest of our Bowl Picks and the Top 10 Stories of 2010.  Till then, Merry Christmas! [randallsimonssausages2]

no comments